


Limits

by KnightNight7203



Category: Bonnie & Clyde - Wildhorn/Black/Menchell
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-22
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-26 00:23:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7552963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnightNight7203/pseuds/KnightNight7203
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Bonnie's sure he's about to pull the trigger, when her blood runs cold and she darts toward him." In which Bonnie uses some of her newfound wealth to help someone else for a change, despite Clyde's better judgement.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Limits

The holdup is meant to be a typical one. In, out, money in the bag, nobody gets hurt. It’s a small store, with only a few customers present when they stride inside. Nobody raises a gun against them. They aren’t even asked for their autographs. Everyone simply stands against the walls with their hands in the air and their mouths shut.

“It’s a good life, Bonnie,” Clyde muses, spinning his gun carelessly on his finger as she stands by the register, waiting for the thin, pallid man in a worn suit to empty the cash drawer into her bag. “After this, we’ll have enough to do whatever you want. Should we go to Vegas? Stop by your mama’s and see if we can’t get her to buy some new curtains for that dreary living room?”

Bonnie rolls her eyes. Clyde knows they can’t ever do what she really wants now – to go to Hollywood and get a job in the movies – and she’s lectured him before about shouting their plans to anybody around when they’re in a town. “We’ll see, baby,” she says to keep him calm. The way he’s handling that gun is making her nervous. “Let’s just finish up here and get out.”

“Sure thing,” he replies, giving her a small smile. Then his demeanor changes in an instant as he whirls around to point his gun at a flash of movement just over his shoulder. His expression has darkened considerably, and Bonnie’s sure he’s about to pull the trigger, when her blood runs cold and she darts toward him.

“Clyde, no!”

She yanks his arm upward and he freezes, staring down at the person he almost shot. It’s a thin, scared-looking young woman, hardly more than a girl. Her hair straggles down to her waist, and the middle of her dress bulges out around an obviously pregnant stomach. She’s crouched on the ground, her back pressed flat against the wall – the flash of movement was her sliding down, unable to keep herself upright any longer.

Clyde clears his throat, lowering his arm and pointing the gun back toward the general direction of the cashier. “Everything all right here, ma’am?” he asks gruffly. She makes no move to respond, her face pale.

Glaring at her partner-in-crime, Bonnie crouches down beside her. “We’re real sorry about that,” she says softly, stretching her hand out to the woman. “You know how it is – we’ve just gotta be careful.” The woman doesn’t take her hand, and she doesn’t look any more comfortable. Bonnie tries again. “I’m Bonnie. What’s your name.”

With a nervous glance at Clyde behind her, the woman finally responds. “Laura,” she squeaks.

“Well, Laura, today’s your lucky day,” Bonnie says brightly. She jumps up and grabs the bag, which is full by this point. Pulling out a handful of bills, she offers them to the woman. “Here. Please accept our apologies.”

“You can’t do that, Bonnie,” Clyde says. “We work hard for that–“

“I can and I will,” she retorts. “Here you go, Laura. Take it.”

The woman shakes her head. “I can’t,” she insists, her voice soft but steady. “It ain’t mine. I’m not the only one struggling to get by, and I can’t get ahead by forcing others back.”

Bonnie eyes her stomach doubtfully. “You need it more than we do. An’ if you won’t take it for yourself, take it for the baby. It ain’t fair for it to be raised in a world like this.”

“Nobody said the world was fair,” Laura whispers, but she stretches out her hand to take it, looking guiltily at the other customers around her even as she does. Bonnie smiles encouragingly at her, patting her hand in the brief moment they touch and then turning away to return to her place at Clyde’s side.

“I can’t believe you did that,” he mutters, waving the gun behind them one last time before turning and making for the door

She doesn’t respond, just concentrates on making her feet stomp down on the dusty sidewalk with more force than necessary.

“I do have a limit, you know,” Clyde continues once they’re back in the car without further incident. His voice is forceful, like he’s praying for her to believe him. “I ain’t just gonna shoot anyone. She wasn’t a threat. She was fine.”

Bonnie just stares straight ahead, watching as the buildings get smaller and further apart.

“Come on, sugar. Don’t give me that face. I ain’t done nothing wrong.”

“I _know_ you haven’t done anything wrong, Clyde,” she explodes exasperatedly. “But you might have. And you still might.” She finally glances at him, but now he’s looking away, his glare fixed on the road so he doesn’t have to face her disapproval and distrust.

“Are we going to your mama’s?” he asks quietly, in an almost threatening voice. His tone sends shivers up her spine. She’s not sure if he wants to go there so there’s someone around to temper her anger, or because he wants to leave her there. That thought fills her with more terror than his finger on the trigger did, and she struggles to keep her breathing even. She needs Clyde. He can’t want her gone. He loves her, just as she loves him.

Right?

“I don’t think so, baby,” she says finally. “Let’s just go home.” Maybe there, things will make sense again. They’ll make up, their argument forgotten. Maybe then the fear that crept into their relationship in this little town will go away again. And she hopes – for both their sakes – that it stays gone once it does.


End file.
